


The Last Goodbye

by mandralyne



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2013-01-28
Packaged: 2017-11-27 05:38:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandralyne/pseuds/mandralyne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kotetsu passes away from complications related to dementia and old age. This is Barnaby's goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Backstory more or less is Kotetsu and Barnaby have been together nearly 40 years, 6 years earlier Kotetsu is diagnosed with Alzherimer-related Dementia and spent the prior two years living in a nursing home.

Barnaby had known that Kotetsu’s funeral would be coming sooner rather than later. His husband’s health had been failing rapidly since he’d caught the flu a couple of weeks earlier. The morning he’d gotten the call from the nursing home saying that Kotetsu had been rushed to the hospital and there likely wasn’t much time left, he didn’t even hang up the phone before he’d rushed out of the door. ‘Will he be lucid when I get there?’ He asked himself as he opened the door of his car.

  
As he pulled out of the parking garage, Barnaby pressed the auto-dialer and called Kaede. The phone rang a couple of times before he heard Ivan pick up the phone. “Ivan…” Barnaby started, his voice shaking; “Tell Kaede the both of you need to get to the hospital. Kotetsu… It’s…”

  
Before he could continue he heard his son-in-law call Kaede’s name, and disconnected the call.

  
There was a nurse waiting for Barnaby when he arrived. “Mr. Brooks, if you’ll come with me. Your husband’s condition is critical-he’s extremely weak, his lungs are filling with fluid, and he’s non-responsive to any of the staff. Maybe you can get something from him.”

  
Hearing that Barnaby stopped just outside the door of the hospital room, and looked in at the man lying on the bed. He was merely a frail shell of the man he’d married 31 years earlier. He took a deep breath to steady himself and put on a forced smile as he entered the hospital room and approached Kotetsu’s bed.

  
“Hey Kotetsu. It’s Barnaby.” he said to the man laying in the hospital bed. He looked at all the monitors and attached tubing. He forced himself to smile again as he gently reached for Kotetsu’s hand. “Kaede and Ivan are on their way to come see you. I’m not sure if they’re bringing Emily and Tomoe though.”

  
Hearing Tomoe’s name, Kotetsu weakly moved his fingers in the hand Barnaby was holding. “Yes Kotetsu.” Barnaby replied sadly, “You’ll get to see your wife again.”  
Just before Kaede and Ivan arrived at the hospital, Kotetsu tried to take in a gasp for breath and stopped breathing. Quickly followed by his heart stopping. Several doctors rushed into the room and a nurse guided Barnaby to the hallway. In between the sobs that were wracking from him, Barnaby managed to choke out, “DNR. There’s a DNR.”

  
From outside the room, he heard the heart monitor fall silent, and heard the doctor call out, “Kotetsu Kaburagi. Time of death-0702. November 5th, NC 2010.”

  
Barnaby slid down to the floor, his face buried in his hands. After what seemed like ages, Barnaby felt a pair of strong arms lift him into a standing position and guide him into a chair. “He didn’t recognize me at all. His only response was to Tomoe’s name. I expected it, but it’s…”

  
Kaede wrapped her arms around her step-father while he sat there crying. “You’d think this would be easier, since I knew it was coming.” Barnaby said, his voice hoarse.

  
For two days before the funeral Kotetsu’s body laid in repose in the Justice Tower. Heroes past and present stood as the honour guard. Barnaby, Kaede, Ivan and their daughters, Emily and Tomoe stood at the head of the casket as the children, adults, seniors, and officials of Stern Bild came to offer their condolences to the family of the former hero whose last few years of life had been those of illness. By the end of the first day Barnaby looked worn out, having shaken the hands of many well wishers, the second day he looked exhausted. On the third day- the day of the funeral Barnaby looked dreadful- pale, bags under his eyes, his silver hair looked limp, and he was shaky. Slowly, Kaede walked up to her step-father looking tired herself and asked, “Barnaby, have you ate or slept at all since dad passed?”

  
“I’ve tried.” The man replied, his voice thin. “I didn’t think it would be this hard, since I’ve had six years to prepare for this; and the whole time we were heroes any mission could have been our last.” Barnaby looked down at the floor, and blinked away the tears that were forming.

  
“Do you want to sit?” She asked, as she guided Barnaby to a seat. “No one would judge you.”

  
“Kaede, when…uh… when…umm…uh.. my time comes. Uhhhm, make sure… make sure… Make Bunny sit.”

  
She smiled sadly at the memory of her father stumbling through his words to tell her to take care of Barnaby.

  
“Thanks, Kaede.” Barnaby replied, as he sat down. He slouched forward, and looked towards the casket, ‘So this is it Kotetsu. The last goodbye. I miss you already.’

  
Engrossed in his thoughts, Barnaby didn’t notice when Nathan sat down to him. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I handsome?” he asked the younger man.

  
“Oh. No, you’re not Nathan.” Barnaby replied. “Was just saying goodbye, again. Not that he knew who I was at the end. The only thing he responded to right before… Was Tomoe’s name.” Before he’d realized it, he was crying again and only when he felt Nathan’s arm around his shoulder and his handkerchief wiping his tears away did he realize. “I should be strong for him.” Barnaby murmured quietly, “I’m not doing a very good job. Am I?”

  
“Barnaby.” Nathan said in a quiet but stern and caring voice, “You’re doing the best to be expected in this situation. Between your hero partnership and then your relationship, the two of you were together nearly 40 years.” With his free hand, Nathan patted Barnaby’s hand. “I think you’re allowed to cry.”

  
The silver haired man sat in silence for a few minutes, still accepting Nathan’s comfort. “I miss him.” He finally allowed himself to say.

  
When the funeral itself started, the rest of Kotetsu’s family seated themselves alongside of him. Kaede took Barnaby’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Dad loved you all the way until the end Barnaby.”  
“Would the family like to come up and say a final good-bye?” The officiate asked, looking at the four people sitting in the front row. Barnaby shook his head, as did Kaede and Ivan, but he watched his granddaughter Emily stand up and walk up to the casket. “Grandpa.” She started, her voice quivering. Tears freely flowing. Before he could stop himself, Barnaby stood up and walked up beside his granddaughter, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder for support. “It’s okay. Take your time.” He said to her quietly.

  
‘I might not be able to do much right now, but I can help Emily say goodbye.’ He thought.

  
“Grandpa…” She started again, “I love you. I’m gonna miss you.” She reached into her handbag and pulled out a couple of hand-drawn cards. “This ones from me.” She choked back a sob, and wiped her face with the back of her hand, and Barnaby squeezed her closer. She set the second card beside hers, “This one’s from Tomoe. She said to say she’s sorry she couldn’t come today, but she loves and misses you very much Grandpa.”

  
After a moment of just standing there quietly, Barnaby finally said “I love you Kotetsu. I’ll never forget how happy you made me.”

  
The two finally went back to their seats, and the service finally began with all the usual talk about how this was a a celebration of Kotetsu’s amazing life and not a time to mourn, and the many years of service he put in as a hero, and finally as an instructor at the Hero Academy.

  
‘Not a time to mourn. Yeah, right.’ Barnaby thought to himself, ‘Have you ever lost someone this close to you and wanted to celebrate?’ He considered leaving but instead looked up and glared at the officiate, who just continued on about Kotetsu’s accomplishments. ‘I still have to deliver the eulogy… I’m not sure I can actually do this.’

  
Under his breath, Barnaby muttered, “Kotetsu really wouldn’t have liked this. He hated pomp and ceremony, even if all he ever wanted was to be recognized.” He balled his hands tightly, and then slowly released them, urging the pile of emotions he was feeling to settle.  
Kaede reached over, took her step-father’s hand, and squeezed it. “Barnaby, calm down. You’re right though. Dad would have thought this was over the top.Will you be okay?”  
Barnaby sat stiffly until the officiate finished speaking and called him up to deliver the eulogy. He stood up and slowly made his way to the podium. He looked at the crowd of people who had gathered, and smiled weakly before he began.

  
” Kotetsu was a good man. A kind man, a just man, and most of all a loving man. He hated ceremony- I bet, if he’s around, somehow, he’s out having a drink, instead of hanging around here. He told me always skipped out on company parties until we were partnered up.  
He always put others first, oftentimes reckless to the point of putting himself in danger. It was one of those reckless moments that first brought us together. Things were rocky at the start, but eventually I got to see him for who he truly was.

  
What I saw was a man dedicated to helping people; whether it was the citizens of Stern Bild, his family, or the other heroes. Sometimes he came off as meddling, but it was his way of showing he cared…”

  
Barnaby’s voice trailed off as he looked at his notes, his vision blurred from the tears that had started falling. ”I-I can’t…”  
Before he could finish speaking, Kaede and Ivan stood from their seats and each wrapped an arm around Barnaby’s shoulders and guided him back to his seat as he dried his eyes with the handkerchief that Nathan had left him earlier. Ivan leaned in and asked, “Will you be okay here Barnaby, or would you rather leave?”

  
“I… I think I’m all right now.” Barnaby replied, “I’ll stay… It was just too much to be up there.”

  
As the service finished Barnaby stared at the front of the hall blankly. When the pall bearers moved the casket to the hearse and the crowd had started leaving the hall, he sat until every person had left and finally said. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do without you Kotetsu. I suppose I’ll go back to the University once my sabbatical is over, but I just feel so empty and alone. How did you do it? You went back to being a hero, I barely want to go back to the house without you. Even if we lived apart for the last two years, now that I can’t see you at all…”

  
After sitting in the silence of the empty hall for another few minutes Barnaby finally got up and made his way to his car. As he opened the door and moved to seat himself he noticed a piece of paper stuck beneath the windshield wiper. He reached over for it, and saw it was a hastily and messily scribbled note; _Barnaby, don’t give up. We’re all here for you. Let’s Believe Heroes._

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on FFnet as the start of a longer fic and then pulled down because I decided not to write it. Then I reposted on my writing tumblr in May.


End file.
